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We have been looking for a house for a few months now because we have a baby on the way and this little loft apartment just wont cut it for long term. There is no room for a crib, there is no bath tub, there are some wicked stairs for her to fall down if we were to be here when she starts to crawl. Anyway, we found a house finally that we really want and things seem to be moving forward on maybe possibly getting it! It’s brand new, and we tried swooping in to pick colors of the floors, walls, hardware etc., but we were a little too late. That’s okay! I like to dream of what some of the things will look like and worst case, if we hate it… we can redo it!

I am so curious what the door hardware will be like in this house, what the light fixtures, cabinet hardware, and bath hardware will be like. I am falling for the more modern, sleek look. I dream of modern levers and cabinet hardware throughout the house. I dream of a white kitchen with stainless steel or satin nickel bar pulls on the cabinets. I dream of modern style bath hardware.

Bath hardware may not really seem like that big of a deal and it’s easy to pick something dirt cheap just because you really don’t care what your toilet paper holder or towel holders will look like. I’m telling you, it can really change up the look. Even a simple finish change could make things look brighter, cleaner, more stylish.

I know this is a little extreme of a makeover, but you kind of get the idea don’t you?

This is the bath hardware I would love to have some day. It’s from Emtek. And it’s their modern collection. Go figure.

What’s really cool about this Emtek Modern Bath Hardware, is that you get to choose your style of rosettes (or backplates), like Disk (which is shown), Neos, Square and Small Disk. You also get to choose from 4 different finishes, like Oil rubbed Bronze, Satin Nickel, Flat Black, and Polished Chrome.

I have been seeing a whole lot of Deltana orders being placed lately. Particularly the Deltana 7/8 Inch Drive-In Ball Catch. A ball catch is generally used on double closet doors, or maybe a single closet door, where a latch (the pieced that goes in and out of the door when the door knob is turned to hold the door in place) is not being used or needed.

Ball catches are installed on the top of the doors. They easily mount to the top edge of the door after a hole has been drilled to allow the ball to fall into the hole and the door to close. A strike plate is mounted on the door jamb for the spring loaded ball will set in to hold the door shut. You can simply pull or tug on the door to release the catch. Generally you will use a dummy function door know for these types of doors, because all that is needed is a mounted door knob on the front of the door to pull the door open. This style of closet door is becoming more common than the bifold style closet doors that fold up when opening. I have pinched my fingers too many times to count in that style.

This has also had high reviews! You can check those out on the bottom of the page. Here are a few just to give you an idea…

“This was the perfect replacement ball catch for my closet doors….installed easily and works great. Your site is excellent and I will order again.” – Chase Burritt from Ft. Pierce, FL. on 11/21/2012

“Pictures and descriptions of the hardware purchased was completely accurate. Items were excellent quality and arrived in good condition. The time from purchase to delivery was well within reason. Very satisfied and will order again.” – Russell Schulz from Chattanooga, Tennessee. on 11/15/2012

“Item works well. Easy to install. should be good for the next ten or so years.” – William Hess from Monterey, TN. on 5/14/2013

Multi Point locks or Patio door locks are really nice. They provide a little more security than a regular lock. Multi point means that is has different points where a bolt (similar to a deadbolt) will lock the door in place. For example there is always one in the regular spot on the side edge of the door, one can be coming out of the very top of the door and one at the bottom. Talk about security. Multi point locks also function super well and they are great as far as style goes as well.

If you are looking for replacement trims for Eagle multi point or patio door locks, you have come to the right place. I say replacement trims because we don’t carry the mechanism for any multi point door, only the exterior trims of the plate and levers. Those usually come with your door manufacturer. So if you are looking for the mechanism it would be best to contact Eagle directly. We carry the fun part… the stylish trims! Emtek offers many stylish trims for your Eagle doors. If you check out MultiPoint Lock Trims section under Emtek it will take you to a page of configurations. These configurations are very important to match to your existing mechanism that is already in your door. We have made a list of door manufacturers under each configuration to better help you find which trims may match your existing door(s). You should see that Eagle is under Configuration 2. And that configuration looks like this:

Please make sure before you order that it matches up to yours. We do not guarantee that all of them will match, so it’s best to make sure before you place your order. After you find that it does match you can choose from many back plates, and then from many levers and finishes. There are a lot of styles to help make it fit your own unique, modern, rustic or whatever other style you may have. Please call us if you need help! Otherwise, happy mix and matching!

Handlesets or Entry door sets are a great way to dress up your front door. Not only are there many many designs and finishes to choose from, but there are also several types of handlesets that you can have your pick from as well. All can be nicely categorized on our site if you wish to make things a little more smooth going.

But before you choose one of the 3 designs, you get to choose the type!

Double sided handlesets or also known as a grip by grip handleset, as shown in the picture above have, are a handleset that comes with the grip on both the outside and the inside of the door. This style isn’t as common as the rest, but they sure do look nice.

Two point locks are great for those of you who want a little more security. They provide two locking points, the deadbolt and the handle each have a lock or keyed cylinder, just for that added or extra security.

When you press down on the lever from the inside, the deadbolt and lever latch automatically unlock, it opens the door in one single action. This makes an easy exit in case of emergency.

Mortise Lock Handlesets are just a little bit different than all your other standard handlesets. If you notice the pictures it looks a little bit different on the side of the door, as it has a big plate, which is a box that slides in the door. These are require special prepping, so make sure your door is prepped correctly.

And finally check out the Keyless Handlesets which provide a super easy way to unlock and lock the door. No keys required!

If you are searching for replacements for your old skeleton key type locks, you are in luck! Nostalgic Warehouse makes brand new hardware to replace that style of lock. Be careful, because if you aren’t sure what a skeleton key lock is you may likely be ordering the wrong style to fit your door. Skeleton door knobs are a whole lot different from door knobs you see today. It requires special door preparation to fit what’s called the Mortise Box for the door knobs to attach to. The reason we call them skeleton key type locks is because they use that old fashioned skeleton keys you see on older homes. The vintage or antique style hardware. Here’s the difference from a skeleton key mortise box compared to a regular or standard door preparation (like today’s doors).

The picture on the left is the Nostalgic Warehouse mortise lock box and the picture on the right is the standard door preparation for doors today. The problem you will have if you order the mortise box (or skeleton key type mortise lock) will be that you can not install that big box in the bore holes. It just wont work. So it’s important to understand what you are ordering. If your door does in fact use skeleton keys than you should be able to replace them with Nostalgic Warehouse door knobs. Nostalgic Warehouse offers a wide selection of door knob styles like porcelain door knobs, crystal door knobs or the fancy decorative brass door knobs. Maybe you have a great working mortise box and all you need to do is replace are the door knobs only or just the backplates only… you can totally do that! Or you can totally replace the mortise box and the knob all together (as a set).

There’s always something new and exciting from Emtek. We love it. They are always bringing something fresh. There are several new things they have introduced. Each of these are available now and if you aren’t able to find them on the site yet, please call us so we can place the order by phone. They should be added to the site very soon.

First are the new,

Art Deco Cabinet Hardware Collection.

Introducing the Art Deco Knob, the Art Deco Pull, the Newport Knob, the Tribeca Pull, the Alexander Pull, and the Art Deco Square Backplate for knob as well as one for the pull. This new cabinet hardware collection of pulls and knobs are all available in oil rubbed bronze, satin nickel, polished chrome, and polished nickel finishes. Backplates are available for each knob or pull as well.

Next, I am super excited about is the new,

Modern Rectangular Rosette.

This is a great new addition to all the other unique rosettes you can choose from. The rectangular rosette is available for any of the passage and privacy knobs/levers Emtek offers. Don’t get it confused with the Neos rosette, which is also rectangular shaped but with rounder edges. This great new rectangular rosette is an awesome sleek style that will help bring that modern design you are going for to your home.

The Norwich Cabinet Hardware is now available.

If you liked the Norwich Door Knob, then you’ll love the Norwich cabinet hardware! You can choose from either the 1 1/4″ or the 1 5/8″ sizes. Made from solid brass and available in 7 finishes.

Emtek now has UL Listed Mortise Entry Sets

UL listed door sets are important for some applications (because they pass the tests for safety requirements in case of a fire), but sometimes it’s hard to find stylish door sets. Not anymore! With these Emtek UL Listed Mortise Locks all you have to do is turn the knob/lever from the inside and it will automatically open the deadbolt and latch for an easy exit. With a Grade 1 security rating and a 180 minute fire rating, you will feel comfortable installing these on any condo or apartment or any other multi unit building.

When shopping for commercial door hardware there are a lot of functions available to accommodate all kinds of commercial applications. And it may be easier for you to shop this way, knowing what functions does what.

An Entry Lock Function: An entry function has a keyed cylinder on the outside and a push button for locking the door on the inside. The inside button will lock the lever on the outside until you unlock it by rotating the inside lever or by using the key on the outside.

Entry/Office Lock: This style will have a keyed cylinder on the outside and a turn/push button to lock the inside. The turning button will lock the outside lever which will require the outside lever to be unlocked with the key until the button is manually unlocked by the inside. If its a push button, it will lock the outside lever until you rotate the lever from the inside or you unlock by the key from the outside. The inside lever is always free.

Office Lock: The office lock will have a keyed cylinder on the outside and a turn button on the inside. Turning the button will lock the outside lever requiring you to use the key to unlock until the button is manually turned or unlocked from the inside. The inside lever is always free.

Classroom Lock: The classroom lock will have a keyed cylinder on the outside and can be locked and unlocked by the key and the inside lever is always free.

Exit Security Lock: This lock will retract the latch by either lever except if the key from the inside lever has locked the outside lever. And when the outside lever is locked you can use the key on the outside lever or turn the inside lever to retract the latch.

Asylum Lock: The Asylum function includes a deadlocking latch bolt and can be operated by the key on either side. Both of the levers will always be inoperable so it will always require a key to open the latch.

Dormitory Lock: This style also includes a deadlocking latch bolt and can be operated by the levers except when locked by the push button on the inside lever. The key on outside lever will lock or unlock the outside lever and automatically releases the button. Closing the door also releases the push button. The inside lever is always free.

Storeroom Lock: This style of lock includes a deadlocking latch bolt that is operated by the lever inside or by the key on the outside. Outside lever is always inoperable and inside lever is always free.

Storeroom (Electrified – Fail Safe): This lock will open the latch bolt by the lever from either side except when the lever is electrically locked. When the outer lever, that is inoperable, is locked the latch bolt retracts by the keyed cylinder from the outside.

Assisted Living or Corridor Lock: You can lock or unlock this by the key from outside. The push button locks the lever from the inside. Closing the door or turning inside lever will release the button and unlock the door. When the outside lever is locked by the key it can only be unlocked by the key. The inside lever is always unlocked.

Passage/Closet Function: No locking mechanism on this function. The function is always unlocked.

Privacy Hospital Lock: Outside lever is locked by the push button on the inside lever. Rotating the inside lever, closing the door or turning the emergency release turn button on the outside will release the push button. Inside lever is always free.

Dummy Trim: This is a single trim that is surface mounted to the door.

Communicating Passage Lock: The door is opened by the inside lever and the outside is a non removable blank plate.

Exit Non Keyed: This function has a blank plate on the outside and the inside lever is always unlocked.

Patio Lock: This function is operated by either side unless the outside is locked by the push button from the inside. Unlocks by turning inside lever or closing door.

Faculty Restroom Lock: This function has an outside lever that is fixed. Enter by the key only. Push button on the inside lever activates a visual occupancy indicator. An emergency mater key will be able to unlock from the outside if emergency. When turning the inside lever or closing the door will release the visual occupancy indicator. And rotating the inside spanner button provides lock out feature by keeping indicator activated.

Hotel and Motel Commercial Lock: The deadbolt is retracted by the key in the upper lock from the outside or by the inside turn unit. The bolt automatically deadlocks when fully thrown. Deadlatch retracted by the key in outer fixed knob. Push button in inner knob/lever activates visual occupancy indicator. Rotation of inside spanner button provides lockout feature by keeping indicator thrown. Turning inside knob/lever retracts deadbolt and latch simultaneously for immediate exit.

Communicating Lock: This is locked or unlocked by the key from the outside and there is a blank plate inside.

A double cylinder deadbolt has a keyed cylinder to unlock the door with a key on the outside (just like the single cylinder) as well as on the inside. Yes, that means that you will need a key to unlock and lock the door from the inside.

A double cylinder deadbolt is great for the doors that have partial glass. The reason being in case there was an intruder and they wanted to break the glass so they could unlock the deadbolt from the inside and enter, they won’t be able to because it would require a key to enter.

The more obvious choice may seem to be the double cylinder because it’s got two keyed cylinders and is more secure right? It really is a great deadbolt to have, but be aware that a double cylinder could possibly be a fire hazard because you or any other member of your family would require a key to get out. You may have to pick your battle with this style. Either you feel more secure with a double cylinder because you have partial glass, or you feel more secure without double cylinder because it may be a fire hazard. When customers ask us which is better, a single cylinder or a double cylinder, we mention the fire hazard thing so they are aware that it could be dangerous if you need to exit, but that it really does bring ease to others because of its security. Like I said, you have to pick your battle.

A great question! I know that may be a little confusing. There are quit a few different door knobs, lever handles and other door hardware that look very similar but are from different brands and some brands may be more expensive than others.

For example this Emtek Egg knob and this Sure-Loc Egg knob (shown above). They each look very similar to eachother but if you click on them the price is not so similar. It’s around a $60.00 difference. What is the reason for this? The Emtek hardware and the Sure-Loc hardware and other brands for that matter are all made differently and with different material. We are talking about Emtek vs. Sure-Loc in this case, so the Sure-Loc door hardware are made of zinc die cast and they are all hollow where the Emtek door hardware are made of solid brass material. Making the material from Emtek a little more higher in quality from the Sure-Loc. Don’t get me wrong, Sure-Loc is a great quality and can do it’s job well, but some people are a little picky when it comes to how solid their door hardware is, and that’s what Emtek is. And this is generally the case with all door hardware on the site, the higher priced hardware such as Baldwin, Emtek, Linnea, Omnia (just to name a few) are all made of solid material making it more durable and maybe more smooth function and of course the quality. It’s not always necessary to have this type of hardware in your home if you are ok with it. Other brands such as Sure-Loc, Weslock, Schlage, and Kwikset (to name a few) are great quality as well, and more simple and maybe better for fitting in a tight budget. These brands offer good hardware for a more affordable price. Other reasons that can effect the price of similar pieces of hardware could be because of the warranty coverage, the brand name reputation, product origin, distribution channels and all of the door hardware manufacturers we work with set their own pricing based on everything we said above.

It can be so confusing to know what to order for a set of french doors. And it’s true, it can be a little tricky if you aren’t familiar with all the different functions and such. French doors on the inside of your house will have a door that’s fixed and the other operable.

The fixed door will need to have a latch, called a flush bolt or a more decorative one called a surface bolt (these bolts come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and finishes to match your existing door hardware), that you can unlock that will be located at the top and/or bottom of the door to keep the door shut in place. And when you unlock it, it will allow you to open the door. Depending on what you want the french doors to look like, you can choose to order a dummy function door knob/lever (these are available with any style of door knob or lever handle you decide on) so it matches the operable door. Some people decide it’s not necessary to order a dummy door knob, as it doesn’t function and is only mounted to the surface of the door, whereas others choose to order the dummy function either because they believe it looks nicer or sometimes people like it because then you do have a handle to pull it open when the flush bolt is unlocked. A good thing to note when ordering the dummy function is that some brands only ship one singe dummy door knob/lever, meaning you will only receive one for one side of the door. Look for double dummy, which will come with two for each side of the door. If you are looking for what kind of hardware to order for double closet doors, read this post.

For the operable door, it’s most likely bored with a hole to fit the door knob or lever. Lots and lots of doors already come this way with standard door prep. For an interior french door you will want to order a passage or privacy function door knob or lever. A passage is a door knob that functions but has no type of lock at all, whereas the privacy will have a privacy push/turn button to lock the door knob in place for privacy. You will find privacy functions on a bathroom or bedroom door. It just depends on what type of room these french doors lead to and your preference.

If you are looking to find what kind of door hardware to order for exterior french doors check out an earlier post all about that here.